1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electrical connector assembly including a terminal housing and a terminal retainer for maintaining the terminal securely positioned within the connector assembly, and more particularly to a pre-staged latch apparatus suitable for holding the terminal retainer and the terminal housing in two separate positions.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Pin and socket connectors employing pin and socket contacts crimped to wires and positioned within integrally molded plastic housings have been widely used in computers, business machines, home entertainment apparatus, vending machines, automobiles and in other applications. Commercial pin and socket connectors of this type are suitable for assembly by initially crimping individual pin and socket terminals to insulated wires and then inserting a plurality of crimped terminals into integrally molded plastic housings having cavities extending therethrough.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,443,048 discloses a pin and socket type connector assembly including a multicontact insulative housing and a terminal retainer which can be latched to the rear of the housing. The retainer shown therein can be disassembled from the terminal housing and frictional engagement of the retainer with the wires will serve to withdraw any terminal which is not properly seated within the connector housing.
Another connector of this type is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,544,220 which also discloses a terminal retainer which can be latched to a terminal housing. The terminal retainer shown therein employs a plurality of resilient fingers which can be flexed outwardly to receive a pin or socket terminal inserted through the terminal retainer fingers. The resilient fingers then engage the terminal after complete insertion, and when the retainer is secured to the terminal housing, the fingers are inwardly held to prevent withdrawal of the terminals. If terminals are only partially inserted through the resilient fingers, the terminal retainer shown therein cannot be mated with the connector housing. No pre-stage position in which the terminals, the terminal retainer and the terminal housing can be partially assembled, but in which terminals can be removed and replaced is possible with the device shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,544,220.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,169,648 discloses a strain relief member which can be employed with pin and socket connectors of the general type referred to herein. The strain relief shown therein can be secured to the rear of a connector and pivotally moved to engage a plurality of wires secured to terminals located in the connector. This strain relief is suitable for use with a variable number of wires since it can be fastened in any position based upon the volume of wires extending from the connector.
Although the connectors shown in the prior art patents referred to above can be advantageously employed for the interconnection of large numbers of wires, these connectors are not capable of combining all the large number of features in a single connector assembly. One such feature is the necessity for assuring positive contact retention and positioning within the terminal insulative housing. Such positive contact retention assurance cannot be provided simply by requiring an assembler to physically determine if the contact has been fully inserted into the housing. Such positive contact assurance must be provided as an invariable factor in the normal assembly of the connector. Adequate strain relief for the conductors is also highly desirable and must be provided in a way that will not detract from other operational features of the connector or from the cost of the device. It is also desirable to provide a pre-staging or pre-assembly capability in which terminals can be properly positioned, although not fully inserted into the connector housing assemblies. This pre-staging position would permit removal and insertion of the terminals, but would also permit the entire assembly; consisting of connector housing components, terminals, and wires; to be handled as a single unit during assembly operations, but prior to locking the terminals within the housings. Furthermore, this pre-staged or pre-assembled position should not expose the terminals to the possibility of a shorting or the potential for electrical shock. Although these individual capabilities can be separably provided by one or another prior art apparatus, these prior art apparatus are not suitable for combination into an electrical connector exhibiting all of these advantageous characteristics.